Makes: About 1 dozen
Time: About 40 minutes
A baked doughnut is essentially a quick bread with a different shape. And so it follows that every quick bread and many cakes can be adapted for doughnuts (see 10 Quick Breads That Can Double as Doughnuts). If you decide to glaze this carrot-cake-inspired doughnut (nice but not necessary) use Cream Cheese Frosting.
This recipe and all its variations can be fried instead of baked if you prefer. To do so, you need to turn the batters into doughs: Once the batter is all mixed, stir in flour a heaping spoonful or so at a time until the batter holds together in a dough. Once it does, follow the rolling, cutting, and frying directions for Cake Doughnuts.
1. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a doughnut pan.
2. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add the milk and melted butter. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, just enough to moisten; do not overmix. Fold in the carrots and the nuts if you’re using them.
3. Spoon the batter into the doughnut pan so that the cups are nearly full. Bake until the doughnuts are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the pans immediately and cool on racks.
WHOLE GRAIN DOUGHNUTS This works well with the main recipe or any of the following variations: Replace half the all-purpose flour with 1 cup of any whole grain flour.
BANANA BREAD DOUGHNUTS Swap 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the cinnamon (add it to the wet ingredients) and 2 mashed overripe bananas, about 1 cup, for the carrots. Decrease the milk to ½ cup.
PUMPKIN BREAD DOUGHNUTS Use 1 cup pumpkin purée (canned is fine) in place of the carrots and decrease the milk to ¼ cup. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
GINGERBREAD DOUGHNUTS Not as dense as a gingerbread loaf but with the same warm spices and molasses flavor: Instead of the granulated sugar, use ½ cup packed brown sugar and 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses (add it to the wet ingredients). Add 1 tablespoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg along with the cinnamon.